Britomart’s modern Vietnamese restaurant Cafe Hanoi has introduced its summer menu, with 10 light and bright new dishes perfect for celebrating warmer weather.
Rice paper rolls with crispy fish, pickled vegetables and fish sauce mayo (creamy, salty and utterly addictive) are at the top of the menu and strike the perfect balance of texture and flavour. The rolls will star whatever sustainable fish the team behind Cafe Hanoi can source each day, but trevally and mullet are both favourite inclusions.
Another early crowd favourite is the soft-shell crab — you wrap lightly battered pieces of crab and fresh herbs in lettuce leaves, then dunk them in nuoc cham (the classic Vietnamese dressing that includes fish sauce, lime juice, palm sugar and chilli).
Other highlights from the new menu include freshly shucked oysters with a fragrant cucumber and lime mignonette; Queensland black tiger prawns with hot and sour tamarind, shredded green papaya and herbs; and a beautifully textured chilled eggplant salad that’s big on umami flavour.
The menu also includes two new desserts: a yoghurt and white chocolate panna cotta with boysenberry compote; and a dark chocolate tart with raspberries and malted milk ice cream.
The other new dishes are grilled minced beef and lemongrass in perilla leaves; scallops with shallot oil, chilli, peanuts and Thai basil; and house-dried spicy beef salad.